I'm off to Madrid ...

I'm off to Madrid on Saturday to run the city's half-marathon on Sunday, the one hosting the largest crowd of runners of all half-marathon races in Spain. Around 16000 athletes are expected to take part this year despite the presence of a good many intimidating slopes all along the route. It's funny - I'll be alone among such multitude, no acquaintance, friend or relative will join me in the effort and the joy. I'll be travelling alone too, staying on my own in the city for the weekend, companionless. That must be the much celebrated loneliness of the long-distance runner, I'm afraid.

Update (Apr 5): 1h57m. Good: goal accomplished (finishing under 2h), no injuries. Bad: could not find my pace due to continuous slopes, all the while uncertain about race strategy (fearing it was all screwed up; turned out it was so so), unfocused due to too high runner number density, walked 20 meters in the unacceptable 400 meters final slope at km 19 (embarrassing, almost shameful).